Vietnam has been elected to the Executive Board of the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women) for the term 2025-2027. 

Overview of a meeting of the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) on April 9 (US time). Photo: Vietnam's Ministry of Foreign Affairs

With the election, which took place at a meeting of the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) on April 9 (US time), Vietnam will help shape the development and execution of UN Women’s primary focuses and ensure that the organization’s plans and initiatives are aligned with the UN's overarching objectives and guidelines for advancing women’s empowerment and gender equality.

Vietnam’s membership on the Executive Board entitles it to participate in the approval process of the Agency’s plans, programs, and financial, administrative, and budgetary decisions.

The election is a testament to the international community’s recognition and appreciation of the nation’s efforts to advance international cooperation in promoting gender equality. It is the conviction that Vietnam will soon make a positive contribution to the leadership of UN Women.

Established in 2010, UN Women is the UN agency responsible for implementing policies, standards, and programs that protect women’s human rights and guarantee that every woman and girl can realize her full potential.

The UN-Women’s Executive Board is made up of representatives from 41 Member States elected for three-year terms by the UN Economic and Social Council, with the following regional distribution and number of members: Africa (10), Asia and the Pacific (10), Eastern Europe (4), Latin America and the Caribbean (6), Western Europe and other States (5), and contributing countries (6).

UN Women, as part of the UN’s “Delivering as One” initiative, leads UN advocacy in Vietnam to advance gender equality through improving women’s access to justice, empowering women economically, and ensuring that gender equality is a fundamental component of national laws, policies, and plans.

Vietnam has transformed itself over the last three decades from one of the world's poorest countries to one of the most dynamic emerging economies. While the majority of Vietnamese people have benefited, gender norms and stereotypes have prevented many women from realizing their full potential.

Vietnam has adopted a number of international conventions on gender equality, including the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), and passed the Law on Gender Equality in 2006.